New TV with digital tuner, along with an old Sky satellite dish

TrueDub

Hi all

Apologies if this has been asked before, I did a search but couldn't see an exact match.

I just bought a TV with an MPEG4 digital tuner. I have a satellite dish on my wall outside from when I was connected to Sky (I'm now NTL). I have a cable from the dish to the wall beside the TV.

I hooked up an old Skybox, but I have no viewing card so this did not seem to work (I didn't try all channels though). I was wondering, if I changed the connection on the input cable (from screw-in to push-in co-ax), would my digital tuner in the TV be able to deliver the free channels being received on the dish? Or is there something else I could do to take advantage of this?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Cantona's Collars

TrueDub wrote: »

Hi all

Apologies if this has been asked before, I did a search but couldn't see an exact match.

I just bought a TV with an MPEG4 digital tuner. I have a satellite dish on my wall outside from when I was connected to Sky (I'm now NTL). I have a cable from the dish to the wall beside the TV.

I hooked up an old Skybox, but I have no viewing card so this did not seem to work (I didn't try all channels though). I was wondering, if I changed the connection on the input cable (from screw-in to push-in co-ax), would my digital tuner in the TV be able to deliver the free channels being received on the dish? Or is there something else I could do to take advantage of this?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Connect the skybox to the dish-it's fairly straightforward,use the lnb/dish input on the box and connect to tv via scart.You don't need a card for fta.

You need an aerial to receive the Saorview service-your tv is able to pick it up.Try the terrestrial forum for more info on this but basically if you can get a decent TV3 signal via aerial you should pick up Saorview easily enough.
Saorview is simply Irish tv gone digital.

Stinicker

As above, your old sky box will still get you all the FTA (Free to Air) satellite channels providing that your dish is properly aligned and the cable coming down is ok etc.

If you have signal and can receive the FTA channels on the Sky box you can either work with this or an even better option would be to get either a Freesat HD box or a Freesat HD+ (A pvr recorder similar to Sky+)

TrueDub

Thanks for your replies lads.

I hooked up the cable to the Skybox and the skybox to the TV via scart yesterday, and the channels I tried all said something along the lines of "You need a valid sky card for this" - I think I tried the channels around the 101 to 110 range. I'll try again this evening - maybe looking at BBC1 or something.

Incidentally, how much would the freeview box cost me, and where would I source one?

Stinicker

TrueDub wrote: »

Thanks for your replies lads.

I hooked up the cable to the Skybox and the skybox to the TV via scart yesterday, and the channels I tried all said something along the lines of "You need a valid sky card for this" - I think I tried the channels around the 101 to 110 range. I'll try again this evening - maybe looking at BBC1 or something.

Incidentally, how much would the freeview box cost me, and where would I source one?

Freeview is of no use to you unless you live along the Border with Northern Ireland, or in parts of the East coast that get reception over from Wales. Freeview is the Digital Terrestrial TV service in the United Kingdom.

Freesat however can be received throughout Ireland as it works via Satellite and has a much larger reception area, wherever you can receive Sky Satellite TV you can also receive Freesat.

A Freesat HD box be bought online both from UK and Irish satellite retailers. A freeview box is of no use as it is a totally different technology.

Another option would be for a combo box which would allow reception of Freesat satellite channels and the Irish Saorview service which would combine the FTA British channels and FTA Irish channels available through Aerial reception via Saorview.

Saorview is the name of the Irish Digital Terrestrial TV system.

TrueDub

Stinicker wrote: »

Freeview is of no use to you unless you live along the Border with Northern Ireland, or in parts of the East coast that get reception over from Wales. Freeview is the Digital Terrestrial TV service in the United Kingdom.

Freesat however can be received throughout Ireland as it works via Satellite and has a much larger reception area, wherever you can receive Sky Satellite TV you can also receive Freesat.

A Freesat HD box be bought online both from UK and Irish satellite retailers. A freeview box is of no use as it is a totally different technology.

Another option would be for a combo box which would allow reception of Freesat satellite channels and the Irish Saorview service which would combine the FTA British channels and FTA Irish channels available through Aerial reception via Saorview.

Saorview is the name of the Irish Digital Terrestrial TV system.

Doh!! Sorry about that, I misread your reply.

Thanks for your help, I'll do a search for Freesat HD boxes.

Stinicker

TrueDub wrote: »

Doh!! Sorry about that, I misread your reply.

Thanks for your help, I'll do a search for Freesat HD boxes.

Not to worry I'd say about 80% of people mix up the names. When you try out your Skybox make sure to remove any old card that is in it for it to receive the FTA listings, otherwise it may give your RTE1 as 101 instead of BBC1, try inserting the card upside down as another way to activate the FTA EPG menu on the box if it does not come up automatically.

TrueDub

Thanks for all your help - I discovered I still had an old card in the box. I took that out, followed the instructions in the sticky and now have a large range of free channels.

Cantona's Collars

TrueDub wrote: »

Thanks for all your help - I discovered I still had an old card in the box. I took that out, followed the instructions in the sticky and now have a large range of free channels.

Tune in channel 5 into other channels,frequency in the sticky.It's the only one not on the epg when you use the box for fta.Set the 50 most popular ones as favourites and simply use the blue button on the remote to scroll through them,handier than trying to remember channel numbers.
Seeing as you have UPC, it's not much point forking out for another freesat box,simply use this one you have to complement the UPC service(and get ITV 2 etc.):)

ledgebag1

Hi folks

I am brand new to the forum and I jhave a question similar to this, so apologies if it looks like im hijacking but I am useless at this stuff.

I like the OP have an old sky box and satellite, I want to use the dish and possibly buy a free box. My girlfirend is Spanish and I am trying to get those channels.

I was wondering if anyone can recommened a suitable satellite box?

Any help would be gratefully appreciated, apologies to the OP also